Upcoming Shows
Once Upon a Mattress, Music by Mary Rodgers, Lyrics by Marshall Barer, Book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer. June 12-21 2026.Many moons...
by DC Felton - May 21, 2026
What did our There is a magic that only happens when seeing a show live. Sometimes it comes from a special effect, and other times from the beauty of telling a story. When that magic happens, it becomes a memory that will last not till midnight, but for a lifetime....
by DC Felton - May 01, 2026
In a time on Broadway where so many shows are based on familiar IP, it's refreshing to have a new story come to the stage. In 2022, Suffs opened on Broadway at the Public Theatre, and then kept marching to Broadway, and now it is marching across the US....
by DC Felton - March 21, 2026
This weekend, the newest national tour of Meredith Wilson's 'The Music Man' is stopping at Des Moines Performing Arts. Judging from the audience reaction, this production works its magic in a way no anvil salesman will be able to stop....
by DC Felton - March 08, 2026
This last season, a new theatre company emerged and made audiences 'squeamish' wih their first production. About Time Theatre Company is back for another season and has recently announced the three productions that will be part of its 2026 season. If the thought and time that went into their first p...
by DC Felton - March 03, 2026
Des Moines has a thriving arts community. One of the amazing organizations that is making this community thrive is Ballet Des Moines. I had the opportunity to attend their performance of “Nothing Holds Still” this last weekend. The show featured world-premiere dances and collaborations with ot...
by DC Felton - February 25, 2026
Watching Tony's every year, I always look forward to the performances and seeing what each show decides to showcase. In 2024, I was captivated by the performance of 'The Outsiders' and looked forward to seeing it live. What was that moment? I'll share more on that later, but after seeing the show in...
by DC Felton - February 13, 2026
What did our critOne thing you know for sure going into a Temple Comedy Series show at Des Moines Performing Arts is that you are going to have a good time. It could be a one-person show, a small musical, or even a comedic magic show. So when they announced they were bringing back 'The Naked Magicia...
by DC Felton - February 05, 2026
February is going to be an exciting month for Des Moines Performing Arts, as not one, but two Tony Award winners for best musical make their debut on the Civic Center stage. They are opening the month with a week-long run of the 2023 winner for Best Musical, 'Kimberly Akimbo.' If the lead-up activit...
by DC Felton - January 16, 2026
Every once in a while, a show finds its own path. The US national tour of 'Six' is making its second stop in Des Moines this week at Des Moines Performing Arts, and almost 10 years later, the show still has the same level of excitement it did then....
by DC Felton - December 20, 2025
One of my favorite parts of the Holiday season is seeing classic stories brought to the stage. For many people, their first experience in theatre is a production of “The Nutcracker” or “A Christmas Carol.” This season, we get the opportunity to add a third story to that growing list. On Tues...
Past Shows
A close-knit Norwegian town has just begun to win fame and wealth through its medicinal spring waters…and then Dr. Stockmann discovers that the waters are...
Elwood P. Dowd insists on including his friend Harvey in all of his sister Veta’s social gatherings. The trouble is, Harvey is an imaginary six-and-a-half-foot-tall rabbit....
You might know Felix and Oscar, now meet Florence Unger and Olive Madison in Neil Simon’s hilarious contemporary comic classic: the female version of The...
In this world premiere play, it is Santa’s first year in retirement. Unimpressed with the new system in place at the North Pole (under the...
This Shakespeare comedy is the story of Leonato welcoming his friends to visit his home. The arriving men meet Leonato's daughter and niece, which leads to Claudio quickly...
A play within a play, a group of accident-prone thespians “take the stage” to perform a classic murder mystery, and everything that can go wrong…does!...
Perfect for fans of The Twilight Zone, it’s the age of artificial intelligence, and 85-year-old Marjorie’s new companion is programmed to feed the story of...
When the biggest highlight of your life is weekly bridge night with the girls, what do you do when one of your foursome inconveniently dies?...
Amalia and Georg are competing perfume shop clerks who don't see eye to eye. After both respond to a "lonely hearts advertisement" in the newspaper,...
The world premiere of a new play by Tommy Lee Johnston, Borrowed Beats, tells the story of a family mourning the loss of a daughter...
This is a powerful, true drama of six women who went to Vietnam: five nurses and a country western singer booked by an unscrupulous agent...
Videos
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Once Upon A Mattress Ankeny Community Theatre (6/12-6/21) |
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Free Range Music and BBQ Festival Jasper Winery (6/20-6/20) |
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Finding Nemo Jr Des Moines Playhouse (8/13-8/16) |
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Zac Brown Band Casey's Center (11/20-11/20) |
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Junie B Jones in Boo… and I Mean It Des Moines Playhouse (11/07-11/29) |
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Of Mice and Men Blank Performing Arts Center (6/27-7/18) |
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The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors Des Moines Playhouse (5/07-5/23) |
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Wicked - only children age 5 and over with tickets will be allowed into the theater Des Moines Performing Arts Center - Civic Center (9/02-9/20) |
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Les Misérables Des Moines Playhouse (4/09-5/02) |
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Noises Off Des Moines Playhouse (6/05-6/21) |
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